The next day, I went out early in the morning to prepare for the royal sacrificial guard. I wore the special ceremonial attire provided and learned how to move gracefully. Fortunately, being a sacrificial guard meant I only had to hold a flag and walk along a designated path.
Puuu -
With a strong sound of wind instruments, the erhu and azheng began to play. We circled around the royal shrine and then stood in our designated spots. The ceremony honoring King Gongmin lasted about an hour, and I had to stand still in my position the entire time.
"Thus, the ceremony is concluded."
Someone wearing a golden crown came out and declared loudly.
After the ceremony ended, all the royal family members and nobles headed somewhere. The guards scattered, each following the noble they were to protect. Since I had been briefed on what to do next, I followed a procession to a large event hall.
The banquet hall was lavishly set up. In the cool, clear sunlight, all kinds of delicacies were laid out, and musicians were arranged to prepare for performances. Nobles were chatting in various corners around the large tables.
The person I sought was the leader of the guards under Jeong Cheol-wook. While he was busy organizing the ranks, he noticed me and said,
"Go into the white tent over there and wait."
"Understood."
Though I didn't fully understand, his pointing at the tent made it clear what he meant. I entered the tent, where a simple place to sit and rest was prepared. It seemed I was to rest here until the competition began.
Inside the tent, a servant stood. She seemed to be saying something in Goryeo language.
"......?"
Not understanding her, the servant looked frustrated, glanced around, and then handed me a teacup. She must have been asking if I wanted tea. I shook my head, and she took the cup and left.
' This is really inconvenient...'
Even with simple conversations, if the vocabulary got a bit difficult or the grammar twisted, I couldn't understand at all. Despite studying hard for the past six months, it was still challenging. I would probably need to live in Goryeo for a few years to communicate properly.
After a while, the leader of the guards entered the tent.
"The competition is starting."
"Understood."
I followed him out of the tent. In the open arena, a separate sparring platform was set up, about twenty paces wide. As I stepped onto the platform, I heard murmurs in Goryeo language from below. They seemed to be explaining the background of this sparring match.
Then, after a moment, my opponent stepped forward.
I recalled what I had heard from Joo-hee the previous day.
' It’s a best of three, and if I lose even one, it’s a defeat.'
It was an absurdly disadvantageous condition, but there was nothing I could do. If this was a test of my skills by the Twelve Laws, it was only natural that it would be difficult. As I intensely observed my opponent, he frowned in displeasure.
"*@*@...!!"
Then he said something in Goryeo language and made a bow.
The opponent was a swordsman who appeared to be in his late twenties. I estimated his internal energy and thought to myself,
' He’s quite skilled.'
As I stood there, the interpreter below said,
"He is Jaryun of the Twelve Laws’ Patriotic Alliance. Introduce yourself."
I nodded and returned the bow.
"My name is Baek-ung, a guard of the Jeong family."
Though my Goryeo language was clumsy, it was clear. Jaryun nodded, drew his sword, and pointed it at me. The competition was about to begin.
Clang -
A loud gong sounded, signaling the start of the sparring. At the same moment, I sensed Jaryun's figure darting forward at lightning speed, scattering sword qi. His speed was extremely fast, and his techniques were precise, leaving me no choice but to defend with my sword.
Clang!
"Ugh."
I was quite surprised by Jaryun's sword skills. They were worlds apart from the pirate leaders I had faced before, clearly the peak sword skills of a prestigious school, honed to a high level. His internal energy was also exceptionally high for his age, and the way he naturally emitted sword qi suggested he was a senior-level expert of one of the Nine Great Schools.
Clang! Clang!
I initially used the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique lightly to probe him. Due to the formidable internal energy in my sword, Jaryun stopped his attack and retreated after just a few exchanges. He realized that if he made a mistake, he would be cut down along with his sword.
' Hmm. He’s a martial genius.'
I inwardly sighed. Among the guests at the Han family estate, where martial prodigies gathered, there were hardly any swordsmen as skilled as Jaryun. At most, they were on par with Gi-ryong-shin-gun. For someone who looked so young to possess the skills of a senior-level expert was no easy feat.
Jaryun must be a peak expert!
One of the top young talents in Goryeo's martial world.
After a moment, Jaryun, having regained his composure, moved quickly and sent sword qi towards me, as if to test me. I calmly began to defend again.
Clang
However, Jaryun was visibly tense, sweating profusely. When our sword techniques clashed, I poured a lot of internal energy into my strikes, causing him to be pushed back several paces. My advantage in strength made it impossible for me to lose.
Moreover, my current skills were several levels higher than when I faced the senior expert of the Zhongnan Sect. Jaryun's sword skills were not enough to exploit my weaknesses while avoiding a direct confrontation.
Jaryun ultimately couldn't hold on and flew back, retreating five paces.
......
A moment of silence ensued. The stalemate was maintained because I didn't immediately attack, and Jaryun kept a defensive stance. After a while, Jaryun suddenly spoke.
The interpreter below loudly translated his words for me.
"Jaryun will use his ultimate technique! If you can withstand it, he will admit defeat."
I nodded without hesitation.
"Of course!"
I was already considering that winning by overwhelming him with internal energy might not look good, so this proposal was actually welcome. As I prepared to face Jaryun's attack with the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique, a silver aura flowed from his body.
Hoooo...
The silver aura was a manifestation of qi. Jaryun, at his level, was using a special internal energy cultivation method to strengthen his technique and unleash it for a short time. Soon, the sword qi on his sword intensified, emitting a sword flame, and his momentum became as fierce as a storm.
Jaryun's battle cry echoed.
"Haahh!"
Boom
At the same time, Jaryun's sword and body merged into one, charging at me at an incredible speed. It was the realm of Body and Sword as One, a technique rarely seen even in the Central Plains martial world. With the sword flame enveloping his attack, it was a decisive killing move that could defeat even formidable martial artists. The moment I saw Jaryun's technique, I realized he intended to kill me to win.
' No way!'
I had endured so much to get here. I couldn't die before finding Hae-in. I focused all my concentration and, as Jaryun unleashed his technique, I performed the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique's ultimate move, Heavenly Pillar Kill.
Swish
My figure instantly split into three. As I executed Heavenly Pillar Kill, my body moved skillfully, deflecting Jaryun's attack, though my sleeve was torn. I couldn't completely deflect it, leaving a puncture wound on my wrist, but I managed to withstand Jaryun's attack.
Boom
At the same time, my left hand unleashed the Thunder Cloud Palm, and Jaryun was hit and flew away.
"Kraaah."
Even though I had used a lot of strength and internal energy, Jaryun spat blood. The weakness after using his ultimate technique made him more vulnerable. As I watched Jaryun roll on the ground in pain, I realized the power of the Thunder God Style.
' The Thunder God Style is truly remarkable. The Heavenly Pillar Kill of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique is really an extraordinary martial skill. Could it be a level of supreme killing technique?'
A movement technique that could evade even the ultimate moves of top-notch experts and peak masters!
It was also an essential technique that complemented the extreme offensive power of the Thunder God Style.
"Baek-ung, win!"
The announcer's voice echoed.
Murmurs...
The Goryeo nobles watching from the sidelines murmured in admiration. Seeing their positive reactions, I sighed in relief, thinking I had somewhat met the purpose of the competition.
After a moment, the announcer approached me. He spoke Chinese.
"Sorry, but you need to rest for about an hour. It will take some time to bring out the next representative."
"Understood."
"Go into the white tent and wait."
I returned to the tent. To my surprise, a familiar figure was waiting.
"Joo-hee?"
"Don’t call me that~ Just Joo-hee."
"What are you doing here?"
Joo-hee, who had taught me Goryeo language for the past six months, smiled and said,
"You’re really amazing. Jaryun is the best young talent of the Patriotic Alliance, and you defeated him..."
"I only defeated the first representative."
"No. The Twelve Laws intended to end it with Jaryun. The reason you’re given a break now is because they’re flustered. They didn’t expect you to defeat Jaryun."
"......?"
I was puzzled.
Of course, Jaryun is a formidable expert for his age, but is he that confident?
' Ah, I see. Given my appearance as a teenage boy, they might think so.'
However, I soon realized my perception was skewed. Having always faced peak masters and monstrous experts, Jaryun's skills seemed less impressive. To an ordinary martial artist, Jaryun was a formidable expert they might never encounter in a lifetime. Joo-hee said,
"Um... can you win against anyone who comes out?"
Joo-hee asked worriedly. I smiled and replied,
"I’ll win against those I can, and lose against those I can’t. I’ll do my best."
"Do you know how cowardly that sounds? If you do your best and still lose, you’ll be satisfied with that?"
Joo-hee, muttering, grabbed my hand tightly and looked at me.
"Make sure you win! Got it?"
"Understood."
Joo-hee seemed to be encouraging me. I had never expected someone to worry about me in a foreign land, which gave me a strange feeling. The more I looked at Joo-hee, the more I felt a sense of affection.
After a while, I was called again and stepped onto the sparring platform. This time, my opponent was not a young man like Jaryun but a significantly older expert.
An elderly expert with a white beard, appearing to be in his sixties, held a spear. The interpreter below said,
"The second opponent is Choi Eul-yong of the Twelve Laws’ Boiling Stream Sect."
I glanced at the interpreter and said,
"Can I request something?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I want to change my weapon to a spear. Could you ask Choi Eul-yong?"
The interpreter seemed surprised by my request. He went to Choi Eul-yong and relayed my words, and Choi Eul-yong nodded without hesitation. He must have been confident he could handle me regardless of my weapon.
"He agrees. I’ll bring you a spear."
Clang
After receiving the spear, I took my stance and faced Choi Eul-yong. As I waited for the gong to signal the start of the second round, I thought,
' The Twelve Laws are determined to win. This man is strong...'
I could tell from the moment I saw Choi Eul-yong.
A clear peak expert!
However, I couldn't gauge his exact level. If Choi Eul-yong was a peak master, winning here would be extremely difficult. Using a spear, which is more powerful in actual combat, made more sense than using a sword.
Choi Eul-yong seemed to understand why I changed my weapon. His eyes were filled with interest.
Clang
The loud gong signaled the start of the second round. Unlike Jaryun, Choi Eul-yong didn’t immediately attack. Instead, he unexpectedly spoke in Chinese.
"The Central Plains are indeed vast. I’ve never seen a boy as outstanding as you."
"You speak Chinese?"
"Hehe... I traveled the Central Plains a bit when I was young."
Choi Eul-yong smiled.
"Seeing you use a spear, you must be a very serious student. As the head of the Boiling Stream Sect, I’ll do my best."
"Head of the sect...! You’re the head of the Twelve Laws?"
"Yes. Let’s see how you fare."
Rumble
Choi Eul-yong seemed to be preparing for battle. Though not as flashy as Jaryun’s silver aura, a calm and mighty aura enveloped his body.
Seeing the aura emanating from his stance, I instinctively swallowed hard. I knew from experience that a master whose mind, technique, and body were perfectly integrated was far more terrifying than one with just a loud aura.
' Damn... they’re really determined.'
I instinctively cursed as I sensed Choi Eul-yong’s martial prowess was at the peak master level.
To think the head of the Twelve Laws would participate in a mere sparring match to liven up the event!
They were determined to secure a victory.
Boom
"Kraaah."
I quickly dodged the several explosions in the air. Choi Eul-yong’s spear tip moved leisurely, but the air where I stood suddenly burst. I realized it was an advanced spear technique that used shooting and emitting to intercept enemies from a distance.
Whirr
At the same time, I took the stance of the Thunder Ling Eight Techniques and focused the energy of the Lan technique on the spear tip. It was a low-lying defensive stance. As my spear spun, maintaining a defensive posture, Choi Eul-yong was surprised.
"Amazing! Did you really understand the subtleties of spear techniques at your age?"
A brief silence followed, like a snake raising its head to guard against an enemy.
We were in the stage of probing each other’s weaknesses.
In the next moment, our spears clashed in a fierce battle. My spear emitted a spinning force, slicing through the air, while Choi Eul-yong quickly dodged my attack and countered with the Cha technique, targeting my vital points. I couldn’t help but admire his skill, which avoided internal energy battles while effectively exploiting my weaknesses.
Boom
I parried Choi Eul-yong’s attack with my spear, but his attacks were relentless. Suddenly, the Mia technique activated, and无形的气势从空中几度折断，向我袭来。我无法将战斗拖入内力对决，只能像风车一样挥舞长矛，向后退去。
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Choi Eul-yong didn’t fall for我试图通过圆形动作制造距离并诱导破绽的尝试。他冷静地采取了Cha的姿势，连续刺了十次。连续的白光刺击令人毛骨悚然。我感到呼吸困难，连续向后退去。